Prepare the Boats
Hello. This is my new blog. I’m Bo, and this will be my place for thoughts on faith, culture, passion, food and drink, and how we can all catch a glimpse of a better life – a life I see through the Kingdom of God. Welcome. I hope you... read moreMe & God
As I mentioned in my last blog, I really feel that my relationship with God has improved exponentially. There are many ways that I have been seeking to cultivate my relationship with the Other, and I am going to discuss a few of them: LifeChurch.tv, building a community with other believers, prayer, reading the Bible, and anyway that I (or anyone else for that matter) can dream up. LifeChurch.tv has... read moreEach day is a new day to be whoever you want.
At the end of the year, I always get sentimental and think about my life and how it can be better. And as I thought, it saddened me to realize I haven’t had a really good year since 2004 and an exceptional year since 1999. That is entirely too long…I made the decision to make this year the best year ever. While I realize that I cannot control my circumstances, I can control my reactions to them. There... read moreRacial Discourse: Black & White (Essay Two)
In my first essay, I considered whether the historic election of Barack Obama signaled a new era in racial discourse between blacks and whites. While I did not answer the question directly, I examined a few ways in which racism has permeated in and through the economic, social, and educational structures of America. I suggested that racism, framed in terms of black &.white, exists in the very fabric of... read moreResolutions for 2009
Although I am usually quite reluctant to make New Year’s resolutions (most of my reasons for which are explained here), this year I am turning a new leaf. I won’t go into explaining how I feel about resolutions, because I don’t want to take away from the previously mentioned article, but I will give you a brief explanation for each. So here they are, in no particular order: 1. Foster a... read moreResolute
I am a skeptic on resolutions. I have been as long as I can remember, although I am not sure exactly why I am so. Perhaps there is some sort of hesitancy toward making commitments which are contrary to my current lifestyle. It is not that my lifestyle is so perfect or anything, but I’ve been developing it for some time now, and honestly, my routine is pretty set. Or perhaps there is an underlying fear of failure, that whatever goals are set are inevitibly poised for a collapse. Sometimes it is better to not say them out loud. Whatever the reason, I am usually hesitant to make New Year’s resolutions.
But then, a recent reflection on an old journal struck me, and has begun a process of feeling differently about resolutions. I came across a sentence which has become a motto of mine over the last few years. It is very simple and very straightforward. It says: I am only the man that I am today. Every day of my life thus far has been in preparation for this day. Everything I have seen, every road I have travelled, every person I have met has prepared me for today. It also says that I cannot be judged based upon my past. Whatever good I have done is mute if I am not good today. Conversely, my mistakes are mistakes of yesterday – and I can learn from my mistakes.
I think the greatest aspect of my motto is its inherent demand for self-accountability. If I am to be considered good, I must be good today. Likewise, if I am bad today, I must be prepared to accept the consequences. (It sounds like an old elementary school lesson, but it holds true throughout life!)
It’s difficult to wake up one morning and expect everything in your life to be different. Something in us wants to believe that our circumstances, our discipline, and our ambition can change, just like that. And that is exactly what many of us expect on January 1st.
All of us, in some form or fashion, look to a new year with a sense of hope. Maybe we don’t all say it out loud, or maybe we don’t all make resolutions, but we all look ahead with a longing that this year will be better. Not just generally, that global warming or famine would cease, but specifically for ourselves, that we would in fact be better. We will make better choices, eat better, exercise, quit smoking, rid ourselves of debt, say “I love you” more, etc, etc, etc. And we make those resolutions with the belief that we will actually accomplish them. This is the year!
Then we wake up on January 1st, a couple of hours later than usual, and we drag ourselves out of bed and into the shower. We do some business around the house and eat lunch. Then somewhere that evening it hits us…today doesn’t feel much different than yesterday. I am not different than I was yesterday. And what makes things worse is that I am not any more prepared to follow through with my resolutions today than I was yesterday.
But before you dash all hopes for successful resolutions, consider this: you are only the person that you are today. And there is no better day than today to start fresh. It is never too late to take a step forward.
So go ahead and make your resolutions. Set some goals. Be realistic in what you can achieve, and don’t give up. If you falter, start again. There is nothing worse than giving up on yourself and what you can do. But before you define your entire self-worth based upon your ability to succeed at New Year’s resolutions, remember each day is a gift and an opportunity. This can be the year…but it doesn’t have to happen all at once. February 3rd (or in many cases, January 3rd) is as good a day as any to take inventory on your resolutions and decide what steps you can take to succeed. Sometimes failure has a way of telling you how something won’t work. Find a way that does.
Good luck to you on your resolutions for 2009. May God bless you and yours in the New Year.
PS. If you’re interested in my resolutions for 2009, check out my blog @ harlan.theparadigmexchange.com
read moreA Christ-Mass-Less Message
Now it would be logical for me to write yet another blog about American greed or “Cultural Atheism”, but that wouldn’t serve “The Church of Tomorrow.” So rather I would like to talk about the power and the righteousness of the season. I grew up in a loving middle class family. Like most kids, my parents fought hard to preserve the mystery and excitement of Christmas. They had us write letters to... read moreNew Year's Optimism
I always feel such a rush of excitement the week before and during the week of the New Year. I am hopeful and excited that things will be different, that I will be different in this coming year. It is a time for renewal and rebirth. I make lists of all the good things I am going to do, and I anticipate all the ways I will be happier. However when January 6th arrives the excitement is gone, the resolutions... read more
The Paradigm Exchange is an opportunity for an evolving community to share and exchange their paradigms. We are faithful, we are passionate, we are sons, we are daughters, we are sisters, we are brothers....and these are our stories.
